Stalker
by JessKnowsBest
Summary: Complete! :: Hiei's always watched out for Yukina. But what if his affections were caused by more than brotherly love?
1. Prologue

This story was written as a dare/suggestion.

Dedicated to **Kairi15**

And I own none of these characters. . Unfortunately.

* * *

Stalker

The night was humid. A strong wind blew in, pulling at the branches of the trees, siding of homes, and the coats of those foolish enough to stroll out into the evening darkness. It was late autumn, and the majority of the native community had locked themselves indoors, cranking up the heat to create pseudo-summer weather inside their miniature homes. Windows glowed orange, and more than one homeless had turned to grocery stores or bowling alleys to escape nature at her worst.

In the center of a huge property, consisting of mountains, wildlife, so much as a shore, a rather small abode was suffering the same effects of those in downtown Tokyo. Within the recesses of her home, the infamous manipulator of rekai was sitting down for a warm cup of tea with the younger ice maiden who lived with her.

Yukina smiled at Genkai, pouring the last of the herbal tea into the old woman's porcelain mug. "Would you like me to make some more?" She asked cheerfully. Honestly, this was the weather she loved best. Snow was in the air. Hopefully, by morning, a thin blanket of powder would cover everything, brought in by the nightly gales.

Genkai waved her aside, legs crossed in front of her. "No need. This shall be enough to warm my old bones for now." She wrapped both of her frail hands around said mug, taking a deep swallow, filling her soul with the warmth of the drink.

Yukina nodded, and set the kettle back on the small pillow that prevented it from burning the wood floor. Then she, too, lifted her smaller, daintier mug and imbibed a bit, her fragile frame relaxed. She set her empty cup next to the tea pot, and reminded herself to take them to the kitchen later. She had to do the dishes. When Genkai had finished, the aqua-haired girl took her mug as well, and lifted all three glasses on the tray, stepping outside to bring them to the kitchen. She carefully slid shut the paper door behind her, so that Genkai would not get too cold.

Balancing the tray quite easily, she stepped down to the ground that served as a courtyard in the center of Genkai's U-shaped home. Just beyond the stone guardian, Yukina froze, and turned her concerned eyes out into the night. Because of the light coming from her home, it was difficult to see far into the darkness. She shivered, but not from the cold. That she was used to.

She shook her head. A bad feeling... But it was probably nothing. Taking a deep breath, she continued onto the kitchen, and quickly slid, in turn, that paper door shut behind her. Yukina set the tray on the counter, then rinsed both glasses and the kettle, setting them on the rack to dry. She dried her hands on a towel, then went back to the door.

She hesitated before opening it. It had felt... like someone was watching her. But that was absurd. Nobody was around for miles, and who in their right mind would come all the way up here in the middle of a storm? She slid the door open quickly, half expecting some gruesome manner of demon to be waiting on the other side.

But no, she was alone, safe. With a sigh, she went back to Genkai, and gave the event no second thought.

Deep in the night, just within eyesight of Genkai's home, two crimson eyes flashed, reflecting the darkness. A white scarf billowed menacingly in the wind, and a purple orb blazed momentarily before the entire apparition simply disappeared.

Fin Prologue

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Not my best work, seeing as I don't know where I'm going with this story yet..

R&R!


	2. Catching Up

Eh.. So the prologue didn't bowl over so well..

YYH does not belong to me.

* * *

Catching Up

Kurama sighed, dropping the black ink pen onto his desk. He leaned back in his swiveling chair, running his hands impatiently through his locks. The redhead had cut his hair shorter, returning to the look he had adopted as a child, where it had ended just below his ears. Writer's block was a curse to all, and equally annoying was failure to do anything to fix it.

He sat up, the chair creaking lightly beneath him. It was an antique, one that he had picked up in a pawn shop because of the miniscule Kanji that the creator had hand sewn into the fabric. The window was ajar, the curtains pulled back, letting the light of the new day soak in. He pushed open his window the rest of the way, then leaned forward on the sill.

"You're as ignorant as ever."

Kurama looked to the side. There, on his sakura tree, sat the fire koorime lazily. "Ignorant?" Kurama repeated with a slight grin. "Hardly. I was simply waiting for you to unmask yourself, a habit you've uptaken when those who should sense you are patient."

Hiei didn't open his eyes. "Hn."

Kurama chuckled. "As adverse as ever, are you Hiei?" He stood up straight, then glanced towards his door, double-checking that it was indeed shut. The redhead glanced back towards the tree. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"Koenma sent me," Hiei replied, not skipping a beat.

"We both know that's not true," Kurama replied, his smile wavering, then disappearing altogether. _Something's wrong.._

"Do I need a reason to make sure an old friend hasn't gotten himself killed?" Hiei answered testily. His form crackled, then vanished, not unlike the black and white waves that invade a television set when it's not working.

Kurama blinked, staring at the spot that Hiei had been sitting in not a moment before. "I wonder what he came here about... ?" He hesitated, but when Hiei did not return, he closed the window then returned to his chair and his unwritten autobiography, a fiction titled 'Yoko'.

* * *

"Yeah.. yeah. Well.. Sure, it's good. But we all knew it was going to hap – No. It didn't come as any surprise. Congratulations nonetheless, Keiko." Shizuru hung up the phone, lying on the couch in the apartment that she and Kazuma shared. An unlit cigarette dangled from between her fingers, her elbow resting on the armrest of the sofa. "Bro!" She shouted in the general direction of the kitchen. "Guess who just called?"

"Can't talk right now Sis I'm-" There came a muffled crash from the kitchen, a yell, and a loud meow. A moment later, Eikichi bounded off the tiled floor into the living room. With a spring, she pounced into Shizuru's lap, looking for safety.

Shizuru cocked an eyebrow, running the fingers of her free hand down the smooth coat of the kitten. "Kazuma..?" She called, more exasperated than worried. "What are you doing in there?"

There was no reply for a moment, then a strangled voice called out childishly. "...Nothing..."

She rolled her eyes. Whatever he was doing, she had just decided that she was safer not knowing. He could talk. Obviously it wasn't that damaging. "Guess who just called?"

There came another, smaller, crash, but she could hear his footsteps on the tile as he moved around the kitchen. "The police. They've discovered you're an unfit guardian and are coming to take you away."

She took a pillow from the other end of the couch and threw it into the kitchen. Kazuma grumbled in reply, and she grinned, taking a long drag from her cigarette. "But you're not far from wrong," she called to him. "It was Keiko."

"Keiko?" The orange-haired teen's head popped out of the doorway between the family room and kitchen. "Does that mean Urameshi went through with it?"

Shizuru didn't look at him, or even so much as acknowledge his presence, opting to inspect her nails as she replied. "I'm not really sure what you think Yusuke went through, but I've got a pretty good idea. If I'm right, then the answer is yes."

Kuwabara laughed, pulling back into the kitchen. Certainly took the wimpy Spirit Detective long enough to pop the question.

* * *

The paper door slid open, and a dark-haired young man entered Genkai's home. "Yo, Grandma," he called into the dimly lit room. She was sitting against the wall, drinking herbal tea. "Now why am I here again?' He asked, sitting across from her.

She set her cup down, crossing her arms, her expressionless gaze boring into his bored features. "Do you not feel it?"

Yusuke scratched the back of his head, grumbling something about coming to visit her in the middle of nowhere on a Saturday morning when he could be doing other important things.

Genkai rolled her eyes. "Dimwit. Pay attention for once."

Yusuke copied her gesture, and, setting one elbow on his knee, leaned his chin on his wrist, his telltale determined-not-to-be-helpful frown aimed at her. "No. I don't feel it."

Genkai did not look surprised, but sighed. She stood, but even then she wasn't much taller than Yusuke's slouched frame. Without uttering instruction, she left the room, and stood in the courtyard.

Yusuke followed, overdramatic. "What? What is it – oh." He halted midsentence, then proceeded so he was standing near the elderly fighter. His hands balled into fists, and his chocolate-colored eyes scanned the mountainous horizon. "What is it?"

"A rogue demon, I suspect," Genkai replied matter-of-factly. Even after leaving the estate to the others in her will, and decreeing that her land would be open for demons to come and go as they please, Koenma hadn't given his final permission for their crossings to be carried out. So any demon sightings in the human world were considered rarities.

Yusuke scoffed. "Seems pretty weak to me."

In the blink of an eye, he was rubbing the back of his head. "Ow!" He complained from her physical rebuttal. "Don't need to hit me so hard. I'm not your apprentice anymore."

"You're missing the point," Genkai replied. "Remember Rando? Toguro? Sensui? Obviously the youkai is concealing his energy. Any B Class would recognize something that simple. Frankly, I expected more from you."

Yusuke mimicked her expression, and moved his mouth to what she was saying. "So? What do you want me to do about it?"

"It's watching Yukina."

He hesitated, then looked down at his old teacher. "How.. How do you know that?"

"It only comes around when she's awake. Or busy. If she leaves into a room for a long time, the aura disappears. I haven't been able to discover the perpetrator yet, though. It's become very secretive."

"Huh." Yusuke crossed his arm, a strong breeze rustled the trees and his red and orange jacket. He shivered. The demon wasn't there now, but it had taken little time to erase its afterscent. It was almost familiar.. But then again, it was probably the general scent of Makai that he was noticing. "Well.." He wasn't sure what to propose. "We can get Yukina out of here and put her with Kuwabara and Shizuru. Or with Keiko. Or, 'cause it's break, we can all come here." He looked down at Genkai, waiting for a response.

She shook her head. "I don't think it would be a good idea to tell Kuwabara that Yukina's in danger, so sending her to live with him wouldn't work. Hiei wouldn't like it, anyway. As for your little girlfriend, I'm not sure how much her parents would appreciate an ice maiden coming to stay." She sighed. "It'll have to be the last of your harebrained ideas. I'll send an invitation for a week or two to you, alright?"

Yusuke counted on his fingers. "Me, Keiko, Kuwabara, Shizuru, Kurama, Hiei, Botan.. And because the gangs all here I'm sure the toddler'll drop by, too."

"Without a doubt." She headed back to the interior of her home. "We'll figure out what to do once you all get here, alright? I'm sure Kuwabara will keep Yukina busy enough when we need to discuss. Now get lost."

"You got it," Yusuke replied, not really hearing what she had been saying. He headed down the mountain of stairs that lead to the road. _So there's a demon after Yukina? It's Tarukane all over again... _He shook his head, and, leaning against the red entrance to Genkai's abode, waited for the bus.

* * *

­­­So.. yeah! That's Chapter 2!

R&R


	3. The Invitation

:: I own no YYH Characters

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The Invitation

"What's this?" Botan murmured curiously, taking the crisply folded letter from a red ogre who stumbled off, most likely to return to paperwork. Koenma hated the stuff, and had passed it all down to his inferiors under the blind eye of King Enma. It was parchment, and had a scarlet seal imprinted with some character she didn't recognize. She turned it over, sure it was for Koenma. It surprised her to see, in black scrawly cursive, her own name.

She broke it open, careful to preserve the wax. Her cotton-candy-colored eyes narrowed for a moment, then widened. The corners of her lips turned up, and she went to alert Koenma that she'd be leaving soon.

* * *

"Shuichi! Mail!" Shiori called up the stairs. She smiled, setting the envelope on the landing to lay in wait for him, then returned to washing the dishes. Her husband and adoptive son were on a fishing trip, and, worried about his mother, Shuichi had returned home to keep her company until the rest of the family had arrived. He usually stayed away at college, but she liked to have him home.

She remembered having opened the front door not two days ago, a young man with short red hair standing, smiling. Hugs all around – he had told her he had a surprise but she would have never guessed that he'd cut his long crimson hair. It always looked so darling on him.

Humming to herself, she rinsed the sink and wiped her soapy hands on her apron, then began to fill a large pot with water for their supper.

Kurama dropped his pen on his still-blank sheet, and descended to find the letter his mother had called him about. It was white, and had only his first name and address. Green eyes intrigued, he opened the letter to find an invitation.

"It couldn't be..." Kurama shook his head, and then started down the steps two at a time to let his mother know he'd be cutting his visit home short.

* * *

"You didn't get one? Oh – so Yusuke told Kuwabara, did he?" Keiko sighed, laying on her back on her bed, her head at the foot of the bed. She rolled over, kicking her feet lightly as she spoke on the phone. "Yes, I've got it right here."

"_To Celebrate the First Anniversary since the Maboroshi Tournament, You are Invited to a Reunion at the Home of Genkai, Reikai Master. There is no response Necessary. This is Not Optional. Your Presence is Requested the following Sunday afternoon." _

"No, nothing special, just like I told you Shizuru. But why would he tell Kuwabara and not me? No, I suppose it's no big deal. Yes, I'll see you there." She laughed lightly, then clicked her phone off, letting it fall to the floor with a dull thud. She turned, staring at the blackness out of her window. _That boy.._

* * *

Yukina set the tray of tea down in front of the statue of Buddha, recounting to make sure she had enough for everyone – nine in all. Genkai had surprised her this morning, telling her the rest of the gang was coming to stay for one or two weeks. Yukina had been happy, although, jokingly, upset with Genkai for letting her know so late. She had to prepare places for everyone to sleep. And there was only enough food up there in the mountains to last two women two weeks, so a shopping trip was in order. But she felt confidant now, now that the others were to arrive any minute.

At his sentry post atop a windblown tree, Hiei watched Genkai's house, his red eyes flashing. The air around him buzzed, and, bouncing across treetops, he made it to the courtyard, sliding inside the room.

Yukina's eyes widened, and she spun around, her expression nervous. "Hiei," she said, relieved, turning back to the tea. "I... I thought.."

Hiei narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "You thought.. what? Yukina?"

"I... um... nothing," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "It was nothing."

Hiei moved towards her from his perch leaning on the wall, but an estranged shout from outside cut him off. "Yukina my looooove!"

The ice maiden's cheeks tinged pink, and she turned to the open door. Sure enough, Kuwabara was running from the stone steps towards her. He would have made it uneventful, but he tripped on the step between ground and porch. She giggled, and went out to meet him, leaving Hiei inside. "Are you alright Kazuma?"

He rose his head, grinning sheepishly. "Yes, Yukina, I will be fine!" he said heroically.

Shizuru was just behind him, Keiko with her. She shook her head, crossing her arms. "Baby brother.." she murmured, exasperated. She looked beyond his crumpled form to the petite Yukina. "How have you been?" She asked conversationally heading towards the interior. "He didn't scare you, did he?"

Yukina shook her head. "No, of course not." She nodded, bowing informally. "Shizuru, Keiko, it's so good to see you again!" As Kuwabara stood, she led the three of them inside. Hiei shot a glare at Kuwabara, but other than that did not make his presence known.

Genkai came in just after them, sitting at the head of the room. Yukina sat on her left, Keiko taking her other side. Kuwabara sat next to Yukina, surprisingly, and Shizuru took a seat next to the young Yukimora.

"Hey everyone!" A delightfully perky voice emanated from the steps as Botan entered the room, sitting next to Shizuru. "Sorry I'm late – it was Hell, quite literally, to get here." She sighed, throwing her hands up in the air as she continued to speak top speed. "The Spirit World's swamped, what with a cruise ship going down in the Caribbean and a few unlucky explosions in Southern Africa." She shook her head. "Koemna's having quite a hectic time, and I don't think he'll be able to meet us. And he was quite looking forward to it."

Keiko smiled. "Hello, Botan." Yukina offered the same greeting.

"Thanks guys," she said, glancing around the room. She blinked. "Where are Kurama and Yusuke?"

"Behind you," a tantalizingly male voice said. "Or, at least half of us." Kurama walked into the room, sitting beside Kuwabara. "I can't speak much for Yusuke, however. It's good to see all of you again," he murmured, sending an especially appreciative glance at Yukina – one that Hiei did not miss.

Genkai took a sip of the tea that Yukina had set out. "Well, I can see most of you are here." She glanced especially at Kurama and Botan, the two who knew of the circumstances around the invitations.

Keiko glanced at the last cup of tea, between Kurama and Botan. Where was he..?

Kuwabara smacked his forehead loudly, causing everyone to look in his direction. "I almost forgot! Urameshi told me to let you know he'd be kind of late!"

Shizuru rolled her eyes. "You're only thinking of this now."

"Well at least I remembered at all."

Keiko stayed quiet, setting her tea down quietly. A sigh escaped her lips. _Why did I expect now to be any different...?_

Kurama set his own cup down as well, looking at the brunette. "I wouldn't worry, Keiko," he said encouragingly. "Remember, Yusuke's still got business in Makai that pulls him away from here from time to time. It may have been something that he couldn't avoid. If he's not here in the morning I'll make sure to go get him, okay?"

Keiko nodded. But she doubted it was anything of the sort. Now that she and Yusuke were engaged, she had expected him to tell her more than what he had. But maybe she had been expecting too high expectations.

Genkai glanced at Yukina, who glanced outside. It was late evening, and the sun was causing the courtyard to glow red and orange. "Oh!" She said, after a moment. "Dinner." She stood, running to the kitchen.

Genkai smiled. "After we eat, Yukina can help you find your rooms." She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you're all tired from your long trip here." She took another sip of her tea. "And..that's about it." She stood. "I'll see you all in the morning."

* * *

And that, mis compadres, was chapter two.

R&R!


	4. Abnegate: To Avoid

Yo. Um... Yeah. This is Chapter III. /// Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I own none of these characters, no matter how much I madly want to.

* * *

The sun was streaming in, leaving shadows even through the paper door. Genkai sipped her tea quietly. It was early, soon after dawn, and she assumed that most of her guests were still sleeping. The birds were chirping loudly outside, but she knew she could hear over them for the noises of her home. She opened her eyes sharply. "Come in." 

The door slid open, though his shadow appeared on the wood floor before so. The dark-haired young man entered, wearily, and sat on the floor across from his mentor. "Yo, Grandma."

"So?"

Yusuke yawned before answering. "I don't see why I'm invited for vacation and as soon as I get here you tell me I have to stay up all night." He rubbed the back of his neck. "And I'll bet Keiko's pretty pissed that I never showed up last night."

"She'll live," Genkai replied. "I suppose you'll have to tell her soon enough. But..." Her gray eyes flashed.

Yusuke sighed. "I got nothing. I was out all over your huge property til dawn and I couldn't sense anything more than a homicidal squirrel. If there's a demon stalking Yukina, it wasn't there last evening."

Genkai sighed, and sipped her tea again. If Yusuke hadn't noticed anything unfamiliar, then there was nothing unfamiliar out there. She didn't want to analyze the meaning of that revelation. Drinking kept her from having to answer to the silence.

* * *

Decked in bikini, wrap, and flip flops, a towel under her arm, and sunglasses, sunscreen, headphones and a book in her mesh bag, Keiko was waiting impatiently outside the other brunette's bedroom. "Shizuru?" She repeated, subconsciously tapping her sandaled foot on the wooden floor of the hallway. "It's just the beach. No make-up needed." 

"I know that!" The muffled voice replied. A moment later, the Kuwabara sister stepped out from her room, catching Keiko off guard. Shizuru smiled. She dashed down the hallway, turning to give her friend a half-impatient glare. "Well? Aren't you coming?"

Keiko rolled her eyes, laughing, before heading to catch up with Shizuru. She halted midway, though, turning back as though she had forgotten something. "Yukina!" She called. "We're ready!"

The door flew open, and Botan materialized in the threshold, her face flush with the anxiety of being rushed. She wore a yellow t-shirt over blue jean shorts, but the strap of her bikini was obvious around her neck. Yukina peered out shyly from behind the Guide. Botan laughed, pulling the aqua-colored hair along with her. "No need to worry, Yukina. The boys will be staying here!" She encouraged matter-of-factly.

The boys. Now that was still something that bothered Keiko. Where was Yusuke?

Before she had time to dwell on the subject, Shizuru whined again from across the hall. "Let's _go_!"

Grabbing Yukina's pale hand, Botan ran after Shizuru. Keiko stood still in the empty hallway for a moment before shaking her head and following. If Yusuke was avoiding her..

Kuwabara stepped out from the intersection of halls, nearly running into Keiko. His sober face slowly transformed into a grin when he realized she was wearing a bathing suit. That meant that Yukina would be going to the beach.

Keiko smiled, and stuck out her tongue at him as she dodged back to follow the others. "She's already left with Shizuru and Botan!" she called out to the redhead.

* * *

Kurama watched with mild amusement as the gaggle of girls danced out of the house, clearly excited that they'd be able to use the beach while at Genkai's abode. Not five minutes after they had appeared into the courtyard, all four had disappeared with haste down the stone steps that led to the rest of the property. It was such a nice day; Kurama could see why they wouldn't want to waste it. 

The sun was high in the sky, casting light on all and leaving nearly nothing in shadow. That was why it was so obvious to Kurama when a shadow that had been occupying the front corner of Genkai's roof jumped off, flashing after the girls.

* * *

Snickering to himself, Kuwabara pushed the brush aside to get a better view at the rolling waves and the porcelain sand. But of course, that wasn't the scenery he had been looking for. How could he possibly allow himself to miss seeing his precious Yukina in a bikini? She didn't have her own swimsuit, so she'd had to borrow a two-piece from Keiko. 

They had already set up towels, and the brazen three had already stripped down. Yukina still hung back, though it was obvious she was mesmerized by the glittering water. She fidgeted with the tie on her traditional Japanese robe. It was crimson, the same as her eyes.

"Yukina! Come on!" Botan yelled, jumping into the water. She laughed, a bit shocked by the cold of the water compared to the heat of the day. "The water's great!"

Yukina smiled, waving off at Botan. Yet she hesitated. Keiko came up behind the ice maiden, smiling softly. "Let's just go have fun, okay?"

Yukina nodded. She undid the tie, letting the silky red fabric fall onto her towel. Keiko stepped forward, blocking Kuwabara's view, to tie Yukina's thin hair into a bun high on her neck to keep her hair from getting soaked. The brunette stepped back, grinning. "Perfect!"

Yukina blushed. Though her aquamarine hair was tied back, bold tendrils had escaped the holder and framed her doll-like face. Her shoulders and abdomen were a creamy color, matching the milky white of her thin legs. Her swimsuit was also red, darker in hue than her robe. When she smiled, her eyes looked brighter than ever.

Following Keiko's hand, Yukina followed her to the edge of the tide, shrieking in delight.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Came an icy voice just behind Kuwabara.

The teen spun around, half expecting Yusuke to be there, ready to insult him for being a perv and knock him out and leave him there for the girls to find him. Instead, he was quite shocked to see Hiei. "Shorty? I could ask you the same thing."

Hiei stood from his kneeling position. "Genkai wants to see you," he said simply. He closed his eyes, and let a half-smile alight his face. His expression of ultimate superiority. "She wants you to hurry." Dropping a hand on his black sheath, he turned, and disappeared into the dense forest.

Kuwabara stared after him, confused. The space five yards to the left of him felt emptier. Had Hiei been standing there longer than Kuwabara?

* * *

Arg. Sucky Chapter. 

R&R. – Please critique!!


	5. Secrets on Cement

This is not meant to be a well-written fic. It's more of something that I wrote the first chapter too and won't be able to write anything else until it's done. Mostly it's getting all the bad writing all of my system. Just warning you.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything YYH!!

* * *

Because her duties to the house and Genkai came first, Yukina wasn't able to go shower with the other girls after they returned from the beach that evening. All of them had dried skin from the salty water, and Keiko was sure that she'd be finding little clumps of sand in her hair all week. So while she, Shizuru, and Botan headed to the shower house just behind the main house, Yukina stayed inside, washing dishes that had been used since this morning.

By the time she finished, the others had returned, and were all giggling in Botan and Yukina's room. Yukina volunteered to make them all tea; only then did she allow herself to take a break and head off to bathe.

Her hair was still in the high ponytail that Keiko had tied it in that morning. Thankfully. That meant, that unlike the others, her hair hadn't even gotten that wet. She'd wash it last. Hanging her towel on the hook outside the door, she sighed into the steaming water pouring from above her.

Scrubbing her smooth skin with course soap, Yukina let her mind wander. Standing straight, she put a hand to her neck, where her necklace used to sit. The Hiruseki Stone from her mother. The one whose twin would lay around the neck of Yukina's own brother. She had given it to Hiei.

Her breath caught in her throat, and her eyes widened as she spun around. A blinding aura had appeared out of nowhere, suffocating her. Surrounded by the four walls of the shower stall, it was impossible to tell who was out there. A rogue demon? After the Makai Tournament demons had the ability to travel between the worlds. But with the punishment system in place, it was extremely dangerous for any demons – no matter their rank – to make the journey.

The pressure in the air around her lessened, and Yukina stood gasping for breath, letting the heat of the shower wash over her. What had just happened?

* * *

"You wanted to see me?" Kuwabara pulled the door open, stepping into the silence of the shrine. Genkai sat in front of her large Buddha, her back to him. He closed the door behind him.

The old woman turned to face him, her stoic expression betraying no emotion. Behind her glassy gaze, however, she was thinking. She had no need to see him; what, or who, had told him that she had requested his prescence? But now that he was here, she might as well clue him in. She realized that letting Kuwabara know anything, though, would immediately entail losing the secrecy of any situation. She sighed. Maybe leaving him in the dark would be safer. Especially when it came to Yukina.

Genkai shook her head. "Nevermind. Yusuke took care of it." She turned back away from him, sipping her tea.

Kuwabara shrugged, stepping back outside. Keiko'd be happy that Yusuke'd finally shown up.

* * *

_What is this.. _He lifted his pale hand to his chest, so that it hovered above his heart. He closed his eyes tightly, as though in pain. He clenched his fist around the fabric of his shirt, imagining he was crushing his heart. _This unfamiliar feeling?_

* * *

"Who is it?" Botan called out to the knock on her bedroom door.

Instead of a reply, Yusuke opened the door, glancing from the spirit guide to Shizuru to Keiko. Botan noticed her stiffen as his chocolate orbs fell on her. He smiled, and nodded behind him. Blushing maddeningly, Keiko quickly stood and stepped outside with him, closing the door behind him.

Once the two had gone, Botan couldn't help but let out a peal of laughter. "Look at those two!"

Shizuru, too, was smiling good-naturedly. She shook her head, lighting up a cigarette between her thin lips. "Sure took 'em long enough. He only proposed last week, you know?"

"Better late than never, I always say," Botan defended, throwing a pillow at the Kuwabara sister. She sighed, flipping her blue ponytail behind her shoulder. "Hey, why do you think Genkai called us up here?"

Shizuru shrugged. "Probably worried she's going to die, or something."

Botan shook her head. "We've already had that discussion, remember? We promised we wouldn't talk about it again. No point in tempting Lord Enma, you know?"

"What else do you want me to say?" Shizuru retorted, blowing a string of smoke into the air. She didn't tell Botan about the ominous feeling that had descended upon Genkai's home just after they had arrived the day before. "I'm sure she's just eager for another chance to get everyone together. It must be lonely up here, all the time."

"I suppose so," Botan sighed. She didn't really believe Shizuru, but for what other reason would Genkai have gathered them all here?

* * *

"Where have you been?" Keiko demanded, once she and Yusuke were sitting on the wooden steps in the moonlit courtyard. Yusuke didn't answer. She opened her mouth to repeat the question, but he silenced her frustration with a kiss. She kissed back at first, then pushed him away. She was glad it was so dark – he couldn't make out her flushed features that way. "Yusuke," she said warningly.

"I was busy," he said, grabbing her hands with his own. "But I'm here now."

A change had come over Yusuke. Keiko was so used to the punk better-than-thou immature teen that had haunted her every move. But since the final decision about a week ago, he seemed to have changed overnight. He could be polite now, and he was always acting.. She couldn't put her finger on it. Sweet? Not that she was complaining. It was just the kind of attitude she wasn't used to.

"Busy doing what?"

Yusuke sighed, pulling his hands away and rubbing the back of his head. "You don't want to hear it."

Keiko rolled her eyes. "You're not a Spirit Detective anymore."

"I know."

"But then-"

"No buts. You said it. I'm not a Spirit Detective anymore. And?"

"Then what were you busy doing?" Keiko crossed her arms.

He shook his head, glancing towards the house. In a fluid motion he grabbed Keiko's hand again. He pulled her along with him, down the steep stone steps that led to Genkai's plateau from the street below. Once the concrete was beneath their feet, Yusuke turned to look at her. He couldn't make out her expression in the poor light.

"Well?"

"Genkai thinks that Yukina's in danger. For the past month or so she's been sensing a strong aura – though dimmed down and disguised to a point where she can't recognize if it's someone she's familiar with or not. She's worried about Yukina. So last night, after everyone else was here, I was out trying to look for this thing."

Keiko didn't say anything for a moment. To be honest, that was a little more truth than she had been looking for. "Did you find it?"

He shook his head. "Last night there was nothing. But while you guys are having the times of your life this week, Grandma's having me stay up all night looking for this thing every night." He yawned.

Keiko smiled. "It's good to see someone can keep you in check when I'm not around."

"Hopefully you'll be around a lot more then," Yusuke pointed out, pulling her closer to him.

Keiko blushed, but let the gap between their bodies close.

Yusuke kissed her. "I'm going to marry you."

She let her head fall to his shoulder. "Lucky you."

* * *

Chyah!! R&R! 


	6. Keiko and Yukina

Arg. Ness. I don't really want this to be long. Like. One more chapter. Maybe two. I just hate it.

I hate testing. lol

* * *

Something was bothering Kuwabara. He could have sworn that while he was peeping (quite innocently of course) at the beach, that his surroundings had been completely balanced. But after Hiei had fled, they had changed. Dramatically. But for that, the shrimp would have had to be standing five feet from the orange-top the entire time he was there. But what would Hiei gain from spying on the girls?

* * *

"Yukina, are you alright?"

The ice maiden blinked her eyes open. For a second, everything was blurry. But then Botan's worried face came into focus, her cotton candy pink eyes furrowed with concern. Yukina frowned, then sat up. Her desk light was on. It had to be past midnight.

"Botan? What is it?"

The girl sat back a little, though she didn't look relieved. "You were shouting.. in your sleep. I think you were having a nightmare."

Yukina looked surprised. She couldn't remember anything like that. But that's how dreams were, right? It could have been something horrible, but the instant you open your eyes you realize it'd been nothing more than a dream. She'd been feeling like that a lot lately. Something would happen, or someone would say something, and that odd sense of déjà vu would come over her and everything would just... pause for a moment.

"I'm fine," Yukina lied, though she'd started to shiver.

Botan forced a smile, but it was obvious she didn't believe the other girl. "Alright. I guess I should get back to sleep then. Night." She stood up, and walked over to her side of the room, turning off the lamp on her way.

Yukina remained sitting up in the pitch dark for a second, thinking. She had the feeling she was being watched. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she stared out the window that was in between her's and Botan's beds. But she could see nothing but trees.

* * *

"Kurama! Long time no see, eh?" The dark-haired teen walked over to Kurama, smiling congenially. It'd been awhile since he'd seen the fox demon, and was eager for a five-seconds worth of catching up. Five seconds which ended.. now.

"Hello, Yusuke," the redhead replied, waving slightly from the desk.

"Do you know where Kuwabara is?" Yusuke asked, as though the question were a tangent. "I haven't seen him since I got here an hour or two back."

Kurama shook his head, and looked down, returning to his notebook. "I'm surprised at you, Yusuke. Lying to me?" He smiled jokingly.

Yusuke rubbed the back of his head. He should have known. Kurama would have recognized Yusuke's aura for miles, meaning that he had known about Yusuke traversing the woods all night last night. "Right. Sorry. About Kuwabara...?"

"The steps outside the shrine," Kurama indicated with a pen, chuckling. "He's _thinking_."

* * *

A thin stream of smoke appeared in the air in front of her face, as she exhaled, dangling the cigarette from the fingers in her left hand. Shizuru was standing in the spot where Yusuke and Keiko had been, not more than an hour before now. She didn't know had happened between them, but the place was warm, despite the brisk air of the night.

"Those can you kill you, you know."

Shizuru turned. "Since when do you care?"

Hiei stepped forward, basking under the light of the single street lamp that dotted the street as far as the eye could see. "I don't."

She smirked, then took another long drag, blowing fog from her lips.

He didn't move.

Shizuru paused. What was different about him? She wasn't facing him, so she had no problem narrowing her eyes in thought. Something about him had changed.

She turned to look at him. "Who is she?"

Hiei raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" His voice had become malicious.

"You heard me. Your spirit's pink."

"I hope those things are as homicidal as the rumors say," Hiei said spitefully, disappearing.

Shizuru crossed her arms. What had brought upon that out-of-character comment?

* * *

"Urameshi? You made it!" Kuwabara stood up, went over to high-five the other teen.

"Yeah," Yusuke didn't bother explaining anything to Kuwabara. Unlike Kurama, Kuwabara would not have sensed Yusuke yesterday. "I heard you were thinking?" he joked.

Kuwabara sobred. "Something's up with Hiei."

"Hiei?" Yusuke shook his head. "Can't be. He's got a stick up his ass. I don't think that's gonna change anytime soon."

"I'm serious! He's being all quiet and shady."

Yusuke laughed. "That's how he is! Don't tell me it took you this long to get that, Kuwabara."

He shook his head. "Today he was watching the girls at the beach. Is that normal?"

"Kazuma's right." Both of the boys turned, surprised, to see Shizuru. "He's got himself a first class crush."

"_What?_" They said in unison, wearing identical expressions of disgust.

Yusuke recovered first. "What the hell are you talking about? Hiei doesn't even have a heart!"

"There's a girl. I just don't know who," she said, still rather calm. "And Kazuma said he was watching us today at the beach?"

Kuwabara nodded, then turned to Yusuke. "Botan, Shizuru, Yukina, and Keiko went down there today. It has to be one of them!"

"Not me," Shizuru pointed out. "He just gave me a personal deathwish."

"And I don't think it's Botan," Kuwabara thought aloud. "I don't think he could last five minutes alone with her without killing her, you know?"

Yusuke nodded. "And we can rule out Yukina."

"Why?"

Shizuru shot Yusuke a look. _Now you've done it._

"Well.. I guess we can't. That leaves Yukina and Keiko, then, right?"

Shizuru thought for a moment, but didn't say anything else. How weirder could life get?

* * *

Ugh. I hate it. 


	7. El Fin

I don't care if it's a sucky ending.

I'll rewrite this whole fic in a year anyway. GAH.

* * *

"-and that's what she said," Yusuke finished, waiting for a response.

It was dawn. Yusuke had gotten no sleep the night before. He'd talked with Kuwabara and Shizuru for another hour or so, then snuck into Keiko's room to talk to her until the sun had cast it's first rays upon the world. And now he was sitting across from Genkai, delivering the news.

Genkai took a sip from her tea. "This is all very troubling."

Yusuke raised his eyebrows. "Troubling? The fact that a dangerous demon has a _crush_ on my fiancé is troubling? And that's not the understatement of the year.." He trailed off, yawning.

Genkai looked up. "So you've found out that it's Keiko?"

"Well, it's obviously not Yukina."

"On the contrary."

"What? But Yukina's his twin sister! How could he..." Yusuke shook his head, catching her glance. He silenced immediately.

"The reason that you stayed out all night two nights ago was to see what demon was stalking Yukina. You did not find the demon while Hiei was spending the night here. Does logic then not point to him?"

Yusuke cringed. "He's in love with _Yukina?_"

Genkai sighed. "I think it's time Yukina learned the truth about her brother. Bring her to me, will you?"

* * *

"Genkai, are you alright?" Yukina practically flew into the room, her crimson eyes wide. "Yusuke said it was urgent!"

Genkai smiled kindly. "I'm fine. Could you close the door? Then come join me."

Yukina nodded, mute. She sat down across from the old woman. Even both sitting, Yukina towered over the latter. She feared the worst news. Genkai couldn't possibly be dying!

"I've located your brother."

Yukina froze. For a second, time stopped. Like the déjà vu feeling she had had last night when Botan had woken her in the quiet darkness. A roaring sound filled her ears. "W-What?"

"Your twin brother. The koorime that was banished for being the son of an ice maiden. I've found him."

Yukina felt faint. "Where.. is he?"

"He's here."

She could feel her heart beat, deafeningly in her ears. "He's.. here?" She was too shocked for coherent words, she was barely able to even repeat what Genkai was telling her.

Genkai nodded.

The paper door opened. "Yusuke said you had a –" Hiei froze, staring at Yukina's eyes, filled with tears. It took a moment to understand, but he understood completely. Yukina was trembling. That could only mean..

His heart was pounding so loud, he was sure that Genkai could hear it. They had told Yukina about her twin brother. He wouldn't be surprised if they had told her about his.. feelings for her, either. He had been listening to them last night. Honestly, he hadn't expected them to figure it out so quickly. But who was he kidding? It was the infamous Yusuke. "No..."

A handful of tears slid down Yukina's cheeks. "Hiei.. my bro-"

He cut her off, doing something that would silence her for sure. He locked her words in her mouth with a kiss, pulling her frail body towards him. He just wanted this.. And then maybe his heart wouldn't hurt him every night.

Genkai sipped her tea.

Finally, someone was being honest around here.

* * *

Um. Yeah. I'm done.

Yeah. I know. I'm totally just stopping the fic at a total cliff hanger. But I think it works this way. HA!


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